astrophotos of the month
The best of our readers’ astrophotography
Anvar Ghadery
Western Azerbaijan, Iran
“I’m an astrophotographer and enjoy shooting nightscapes, in particular the Milky Way and
Iridium flares, framed by the stunning landscape of western Azerbaijan. My image reveals a place where borders no longer have meaning – a river on the Iranian border with Iraq. A river that simply crosses the borders of two countries, our galaxy hangs beyond.”
Jamie Cooper
Northamptonshire, UK
“I first became interested in astronomy as a boy when my father, who was a keen amateur astronomer, first showed me the amazing views that could be seen through a backyard telescope. There was something magical for a small boy seeing mountains and craters in fine detail on the Moon. The first views of Saturn with its rings and Mars with white polar caps and areas of different-coloured terrain left an indelible mark on me as a child. Over the years I have travelled the world searching for some of the most wonderful sights in nature to observe and photograph such as solar eclipses, comets and displays of the northern lights.”
Jeff Johnson
Las Cruces, New Mexico
Telescope: Takahashi TOA-130F
“My latest results, which were imaged from my backyard in Las Cruces, features the Whirlpool Galaxy, also known as Messier 51, in the constellation of Canes Venatici. I have a long love of astronomy and have observed the night sky for many years with binoculars and a telescope from the age of ten. I did my first ‘real’ astrophotography in 1996 when I used a 35mm SLR camera to take photos of Comet Hyakutake. I took a tripod out into the desert here in Las Cruces and just experimented with exposures. Later, I bought a 10-inch dobsonian for viewing, and within a week I was taking pictures through the eyepiece for fun. Within a few more weeks I knew I wanted to get serious with astroimaging.”